NASCAR Cup Series’ winningest driver Richard ‘The King’ Petty turned 89 on July 2, and a particular memory has crept up. This story is from a 1981 charity basketball match, when neither Richard Petty nor Dale 'Intimidator' Earnhardt Sr. won. 

A day ahead of Petty’s birthday, the NASCAR stars took on the businessmen for the match being played under the banner of the Daytona Beach Tipoff Club. Nascarcasm shares the details of the match on an X post.

“July 1, 1981: A group of NASCAR drivers played Daytona businessmen in a charity basketball game. Drivers lost 28-25,” the X post read.

The X post also listed the drivers playing by name: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Neil Bonnett, Tim Richmond, and Glenn Jarrett. The post also contained a picture of Dale Earnhardt catching the ball as Neil Bonnett watched on in the background. 

While the drivers lost that day, NASCAR fans still recall this match with great memories. Imagine some of the fastest, era-defining drivers, Petty with his 200 wins, Dale Earnhardt beginning to collect on his 76 Cup wins.

In that moment, fans felt like their favorite drivers were human and relatable. Because they, too, as good as they were behind the wheel, could lose when put in a different playing field. 

One might take a moment to wonder what happens if the game features drivers from the current grid. We’d imagine a certain Denny Hamlin may be able to make up the 3-point deficit, courtesy of his links to Michael Jordan, of course. 

But that wasn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last time NASCAR drivers take part in an exhibition match. 

40 years on, when another NASCAR great lost a charity game

Speaking of winningest drivers and drivers that defined a generation, there is another story, slightly similar but closer to our timeline. For this one, we only need to roll back the clock to 2021. 

Cory LaJoie’s annual Kickball Klassic took place with teams made up of drivers, broadcasters and even journalists. This story was recalled by Marty Smith of ESPN. 

After Busch’s tragic passing, when everyone was recalling their most iconic Kyle Busch memories, Smith reminisced about the kickball game where he was on Busch’s team. He secured a catch but ended up dislocating his shoulder.

Smith recalled how Busch told him to carry on, remembering his own epic run to the title in 2015 after recovering from a broken leg. 

While Smith recalled the game because of the inspiration Busch passed on, we recall it because even Kyle Busch lost that day. And that in itself acts as an inspiration.

It’s proof that even the best don’t always win. 

Who do you think makes the cut for a basketball team amongst the current NASCAR drivers? Let us know. 

Read more at RFK Racing Digest.

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit